The Complex Relationship between Teachers’ Mathematics-related Beliefs and Their Practices in Mathematics Class

Mathematics-related beliefs play an important role in giving a teacher directions for taking decisions and for their behavior in a mathematics class. Therefore, the purposes of this research are to reveal the profile of teachers’ mathemat- ics-related beliefs, the consistency among belief dimensions, teachers’ practical profile in a mathematics class, and the consistency between beliefs and teachers’ practices in a mathematics class. This research used surveys with a cross-sec- tional design to collect data from 325 elementary school teachers in Jakarta. Teachers’ beliefs instruments and teachers’ practices in mathematics class were used to collect data. The findings of this research indicate that teachers tend to be constructivism-oriented but are not accompanied with suitable practices in mathematics class. Moreover, complex relationships also occur in both belief dimensions and in their relationships with the practices in a mathematics class.